


A Christmas Gift

by FlandusLover1



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-21
Updated: 2016-12-21
Packaged: 2018-09-10 18:42:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8928667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlandusLover1/pseuds/FlandusLover1





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CarburetorCastiel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarburetorCastiel/gifts).



Sitting in a bar all by himself, Daryl stares down at his glass and ponders how he got to this point of his life. Thirty years old and alone too, old man was right. Merle had gotten himself clean and is now married to Andrea and they now have 2 children sweet sophia and over confident Merle jr as Daryl calls him Sam, Daryl however, had let his insecurities get the better of him and pushed the one man that meant the world to him away. Senior year of high school and Daryl was a happy 18 year old who wasn't ashamed to show that he was in love with the town's good boy Rick Grimes. Rick and he had been each other's first everything but that all went to hell when Daryl had been informed he wasn't accepted into a single college. Daryl had pushed Rick away until one day he just flat out told Rick he was done and to have a good life. Daryl knew he would always love Rick but didn't want to hold him back so he let him go.

 

Daryl had moved to California, of all places and worked as a mechanic saving up enough money for night school. He graduated with a degree in business and mechanics. Working on the coast was a bit different for Daryl, he didn't like it and as soon as he had saved up enough he planned to move back to King's Country to be near his brother Merle. It had taken longer than Daryl expected damn near 12 years later he finally saved up enough to buy himself a home and had enough leftover to make himself the new owner of Dale’s garage.

 

Sitting at Ford's bar and grill on Christmas eve, Daryl ponders if he really came back for Merle or the man with striking blue eyes that made him feel whole, the man that had shown Daryl love can be true and not just fairy tales. At eleven o'clock Daryl is already on his way to being too drunk to even remember his name. “Yo man, what the hells in this shit ya given me?” Daryl yells at the bartender he thinks he recognizes as Abe from high school but too drunk to really care. “Man that's eggnog and moonshine, the Christmas special. You look like you needed so holiday spirit,” the bartender replies with a cheeky grin upon his face. Daryl narrows his eyes at the man but continues drinking anyway, after all it was free. 

 

A man sits next to Daryl ordering the same dam eggnog and shine drink the bartender has been giving him, not really caring who it is as long as they don't bother him he just keeps playing the hunting game he has on his phone. “Thanks for calling Abe, how's Carol and the kids?” the stranger calls out, so that is Abe? huh, Daryl thinks, deciding to eavesdrop since he remembers Carol and is curious as to how she ended up marrying this man. “Man she's amazing and Sophia and Sam are growing like damn weeds in a wild field. How's the force halse?” Abe smiles as he refills Daryl and the mystery man's drinks “All hell we'll catch up later, gotta serve these assholes” the mystery man laughs as he watches Abe walk away.

 

About an hour later and many more drinks the mystery man with dark curly hair and piercing blue eyes looks at Daryl and smiles. “So you new In town?I haven't seen you around here.” Daryl ponders if whether or not he should reply and then thinks hell, why not? “Naw, just moved back. I grew up around here.” Looking back at his glass, now empty, Daryl can't help but wish Rick was here with him. The mystery man's voice breaks through Daryl's thoughts that center around blue eyes, wild curls and unconditional acceptance “Where's your wife at this evening?” Daryl snorts at that, shaking his head before he replies “Man, women ain't my thang, and the person I want probably is married by now anyhow so it dont matter.”

 

Silence grows between them until Abe comes back to refill their drinks. The mystery man breaks the silence first in almost a whisper, “I get it you know, women ain't my thing and the man I want left a long time ago and never returned. What's his name?” Daryl stares at the man beside him wanting to tell the man to go to hell he ain't telling him shit but also wanting to say it out loud for awhile now, he goes with the latter “Rick….Rick Grimes.” it's more of whisper than Daryl meant it to be but he can't find it in himself to care. The man beside him speaks up once more low and suggestively “would that be what you want for Christmas? Is for the man you're missing to come back to you?” Daryl doesn't stop the tears as he nods, deciding he's had enough to drink, he pulls his phone calling a cab all while walking out the door leaving the mystery man behind without another word.

 

It's nighttime when Daryl finally manages to make it home on Christmas day, he’d spent the majority of the day with his brothers family seeing his niece and nephew and enjoying hunting earlier that morning with his brother. Walking through his quiet home Daryl smiles when he sees that Andrea has indeed been over and decorated it for the holiday. Daryl had bought the house the day after Halloween and had been informed by his brother that Andrea had gone over after putting up the Christmas decorations in their own home she had gone out and bought everything to decorate Daryl's home as well. He didn't really look around when he arrived home last night just passed out on the couch then woke and left. He smiles when he realises Andrea must have snuck out to come turn all the lights on while he was away so he would see them when he arrived home. There's also present under the tree in his living room he knew he hadn't put there himself.

 

Walking over, Daryl snorts when he notices the strangely wrapped gift with his niece's and nephew’s names on the place card. Opening them all, he smiles. Merle had gotten him a brand new, Stryker Strykezone 380 crossbow, Andrea had gotten him a quiver for his bolts and his niece and nephew got him a dozen bolts he couldn't help the happiness and love the gifts brought him.

 

Daryl begins to clean up the wrapping paper, after he picks up the last piece he spots a thin rectangular box wrapped in camouflage paper. When Daryl reads the little card it says from mystery man, Daryl shakes his head thinking he's imagining it and opens the box. Daryl’s breath catches when he sees what a inside the box, lying there is his angel winged vest he left with Rick 12 years ago. Tears fill his eyes at the sight of the material wondering how in the world the man he barely remembers from last night had ended up with this, had Rick thrown it away? Did he give it to the new person he was seeing? Why would Rick give this to someone knowing how much it meant to him? Daryl sat there in front of the Christmas tree holding the vest Rick has gifted him when Daryl was 16 and spent his first Christmas with the Grimes only 3 weeks before he finally kissed Rick lastly wondering how the mystery man knew him or where he lived.

 

Lost in his thoughts, Daryl doesn't notice the figure that is propped up against the wall leading to kitchen, only when the figure speaks up does Daryl notice. “Merry Christmas Daryl,” the voice says and Daryl’s head shoot in the direction to see the man from the bar last night, only now he that he's not drunk does he realize just who that man is “Rick?” Daryl hates that his voice come out as a quiet squeak but there is nothing to do about it now. Standing up, Daryl steps back almost like he's afraid the figure of Rick will disappear if he moves closer. “I've waited a long time for you to come back Daryl, every Christmas I would hold that vest,every New Years, I would wish for you to come home. Looks like the man upstairs finally listened, well that or the big man from the north pole gave me my Christmas wish!” Rick laughs near the end as he walks towards Daryl slowly until he's right in front of the man he's missed so much, moving his hand to cup Daryl's cheek Rick whispers, “I wished for the man I love with all my heart to come home to me.” Rick leans his head against Daryl’s, breathing in the scent that's all Daryl, the scent he's missed so much.

 

Daryl can't believe what's happening, the man he's missed so much is here in the house they dreamt of having when they were married. Telling Daryl that he's wished for his return, he does the only thing he can think of and that is to kiss those lips he's dreamt about years to pull Rick close and claim him like he's been waiting to do for so long. Pulling away Daryl places his head against Rick’s once more and whispers, “I've wished for you aswell, I'm so sorry I left you Rick.” Rick shakes his head bringing his other hand to cup Daryl's face in both his palms “Daryl, you had your reasons, that don't matter anymore all that matters is that your back and if you'll have me I'm all yours.” Rick points towards the kitchen, and when Daryl looks up he sees three duffle bags and one sheriff's bag laying on the floor. Looking back at Rick he smiles, “You moving in already? What happened to taken it slow Grimes?” he says, still smiling as Rick shakes his head. “Dixon you and I both know we've waited long enough, I say it's about damn time I live with the man I plan on marrying don't you?” Daryl can't help the love and warmth that fills his soul, hugging Rick as tight as he can Daryl looks up thanking the man above for bringing this man to him once again. “So when's this wedding you're talking about?”Daryl smiles

 

Rick smiles as he starts to walk up the stairs leading to what will be their bedroom, unbuttoning his plaid shirt to reveal there isn't nothing underneath and simply says, “Well, you see about 12 years ago I had asked the man I love so much, If he would marry me that new year's eve. He said yes, so here's what I'm proposing after I make love to my fiance we go down to city hall tomorrow and get our marriage licence and we go through with the plan we made so many years ago?” nodding eagerly, Daryl rips open his shirt jumping up and down like a child, before racing up the stairs after the man he's waited to long for, Daryl hollers at the top of his lungs not caring if anyone thinks he was crazy. “Best fucking Christmas ever!” 

 

Daryl was the happiest he had been in a long time and didn't care that he was acting like a kid at Christmas, because dammit he was a man that just got the best damn gift anyone could ever give. He got the love of his life back.


End file.
